Barts and the London redevelopment to go ahead

A £1bn (€1.5bn; $1.7bn) deal to redevelop two of London's landmark hospitals, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London, has been approved by health secretary Patricia Hewitt.

The decision comes more than two months after Ms Hewitt threw into doubt the future of the hospitals, which together make up the Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, by announcing plans to review the redevelopment plan just after the trust had reached an agreement with contractors (BMJ 2006;332:196, 28 Jan).

The new buildings will be run in partnership with construction firm Skanska Innisfree, the makers of Swiss Re's “gherkin.” The new accommodation will provide 1248 beds across two sites, together with modern cancer …